Kiss the Cards
by Mickey Levy
Summary: He loved her. That much he knew, but he'd be damned if he ever told her. He didn't deserve to feel such elation when she smiled at him. But of course, for dragons, things like love and such were never so simple. He was going to have to deal with it. Time to suck it up and kiss the cards you've been dealt. (Rated M for foul language and possible future explicit content.)
1. The Bet

**I know you guys are all probably thinking, "What the HELL is she doing!? Starting a new story when she has two unfinished that she's failed to update in FOREVER!" I know! I know! And I'm so sorry! I'm currently having bloody freaking massive NaLu writers block. GaLe is my main couple interest, so the ideas for stories just explode in my head, and I know I have Wild Thing, and I'll update soon I swear! I just had to get this story out, and I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this story and I hope you guys do to ;) Please forgive the stupid Mickey /3 Enjoy~  
_  
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters thereof, Hiro Mashima does; I only own the following_ story.**

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Gajeel growled, pacing the length of his flat for the tenth time that day. He had come to a certain understanding you see. Long had he known that he felt a strange warmth in his belly when he was around a certain bluenette, but he had decided it was just because she accepted him with open arms when the greater whole of Fairy Tail had shunned him.

But recently when he was around her, what had started as a dull warmth in his gut had erupted into a full blown flame. It didn't hurt though, in fact, it would have been pleasant, had it not instilled in him such a fierce _lust_ for the shrimp. Not to mention a **fuck** ton of other things he couldn't even properly put into words.

Like when one of her lapdogs would brush a strand of hair behind her ear. Though it seemingly held no signifigence to her, it angered him to the point where he had to get up and leave the guild hall so that he wouldn't punch the damn bastards lights out. The fact that she _didn't_ care was a whole 'nother matter he had no clue how to handle. On one hand he felt totally and completely betrayed by her, though he had no reason to feel that way, it wasn't like she was his. But on the other hand he was very, very **angry** with her for not snapping at them.

And there was the newest addition that had come on very recently since the fire in his belly had ignited about two months ago. The **dreams** he was having now. Though he didn't mind while he was sleeping, when he awoke from the rather saucy dream he was overcome with a massive wave of _guilt_, because he didn't deserve her, not even in his dreams. However, his mind seemed to disagree.

All of his troubles with the Solid Script Mage he found himself spilling to his best friend, partner, and cat Pantherlily. Lily listened to the mans troubles with an attentive ear, brows furrowed in concern. It was rare that he saw Gajeel riled up to this extent, and it worried him that the man's already possessive nature, by what he was hearing, seemed to be increasing. And of course, the fact that Gajeel didn't consider himself worthy of the girl he was so obviously in love with.

"GOD!" The Iron Dragon Slayer roared suddenly, starting Lily out of his thoughts, "She puts up with those bastards touching her! SHE'S NEVER SAID A FUCKING THING LILY!" the severe distress in the man's voice had Lily wondering how the man even retained his sanity when watching someone touch the girl.

"And why does she have to smile like that at them!? And she should really cover herself up better! I mean if the girl bent over you'd get a full view of her panties! Not that I'd mind but.."

"Gajeel!" The warrior exceed's shout diverted the man's attention from his rant momentarily.

"What?"

"Why don't you just tell her?" The question seemed so innocent, but the reaction it got was priceless.

"TELL HER!?" The dragon exploded, "Lily I don't even deserve to **stand** next to her! Let alone claim her! I shouldn't even think about her! But I can't fucking get her out of my head! I- What's that look fer, _**cat**_?"

A smirk had slowly been spreading across the cat's scarred face, and only when it was huge and reeking of evil did the distraught man take notice.

"Oh, nothing." The cat's cheeky smile didn't falter, reminding the dragon slayer a bit of his missing father, who surely would have had a long, loud laugh at his expense if he knew of the fit he was throwing.

He scowled deeply, chewing iritably on a large pipe. "Goddammit Lily, wipe the smile of yer face, yer creepin' me out.." he ground out.

Lily chuckled darkly in response, a mischievous light in his dark eyes. He would definetly have to speak to a certain liquor loving mage when he was sure Gajeel wasn't looking.

"Dammit.." the deep voice of the dragon slayer growled, crushing the pipe in his fist, "I'm going to the guild.."

Lily smirked, decidedly running ahead of the man. '_Perfect timing._'

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Gajeel trailed after his cat, entering the guild a few steps behind him. The deafening amount of sound that washed over him the second the doors were opened only deepened the scowl on his face. Though, he had to admit, however loud the Fairies were, they were hellish fighters by nature.

His eyes narrowed as Lily made a beeline towards the perpetually drunk mage, Cana Alberona and the demon Mirajane Strauss. Whatever Lily was going to discuss with them, he knew couldn't be good for him. And just as he was about to follow after the damn meddling cat, the only thing that could have possibly detered him called his name in that unknowingly sweet voice he craved so much.

"Gaje-eel~!" and then there was a tiny girl with a head of sky-kissed hair standing in front of him. He felt the fire in his belly burn brighter at the sight of her, and the angry scowl on his lips twitched a bit, yet another strange effect she had on him. No matter how hard he tried, when she was happy, he couldn't help but smile, even if just a little.

"What is it, shorty?" his voice a stark contrast to her beautiful, bubbly one.

"Cana-Chan and a bunch of others are gonna play strip/bet poker later, they told me to invite you." Levy's eyes shone excitedly, as if the prospect of a game of strip poker excited her.

He blinked, his eyes narrowing, "Oye... Are you playing?"

If she hadn't been quite so dense, she might have heard the warning note in his tone, but alas, she truly was, quite that dense. "Yup!" came the cheerful reply, before a devilish smile crossed her usually angelic features, surprising him a bit, but then it was gone, and she was smiling again.

He groaned inwardly, every fiber of his body ached to beg her not to play; but she seemed to be looking forward to it, and so he pushed that aching plea down and arranged a stern expression on his face.

"I'll play to.." he grumbled, and the way her face lit up would have sent electric pulses up and down his spine if only he wasn't so irritated.

"Let's make a bet then!" she proposed suddenly, and the nod of approval spurred her on. "If I beat you, you owe me one favour. Anything I want." She stated bluntly, and his eyes widened a bit at that. "But if you beat me, I owe _you_ one favour, anything you want."

Gajeel felt a cocky grin spread across his face, and he was nodding before he had even fully absorbed what she had just offered him.

"You're on Shrimp."

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**Next Chapter****: **We get to see what Lily talked about with Cana and Mira ;) Oooooh!  
I hope you love love loved this story! 3


	2. Lily's Conversation

**Oh my! An update the day after this story came out! (because I love you guys and this story so much 3) I hope you guys like this chapter ^^**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters thereof, I only own this story.**

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The second the guild doors were open, Lily made a beeline for a certain liquor queen and matchmaking demon; both who glanced at him with a smile when he jumped onto the bar.

"Yo, Lil." Cana greeted, sliding him a drink.

"Hello Lily." Mira smiled sweetly, picking up a glass and starting to clean it.

"Ladies," Lily started, mischievous smile still intact, "I am in need of your assistance."

"With?" Cana prompted while Mira tilted her head in response.

"Gajeel." Lily's reply was simple, but with that one name both women were wholy paying attention, identical wicked smirks appearing on their faces.

"Oooh! Who is it Lily!? Who does he like!?" Mira squealed, already picking up the flow of the conversation.

"Levy." he let the blue haired magess name hang in the air, a grin tugging at his lips. Their expressions were priceless.

Mira's eyes had widened a considerable amount, the glass she had been cleaning forgotten. Cana's drink had frozen a centimeter from her lips, her mouth agape.

Cana was the first to recover from her surprise. Setting her drink down heavily, a smirk pulled at her previously stunned face. "Who woulda' thought.." she glanced over her shoulder where the topics of their conversation conversed not far away. "So he likes the quiet, sweet type, eh?"

"Not always, Cana." Mira shook her pretty head, a sly smile on her face. "Levy-Chan can hold her own in an argument... Good Lord, you should see her drunk." she stated idly, "she's anything **but** quiet."

Lily shrugged, not understanding his partner's infatuation with the Solid Script Mage.

For quite a while, Lily had had his suspicions about the dragon's feelings for the bluenette; but only today had he become aware of just how much the man adored the girl.

"So." Cana's gruff voice pulled him from his thoughts, "how we setting 'em up?"

Before he could answer, Mira was speaking.

"There's a game of strip poker tonight." by the devilish look in the pretty barmaids eyes, Lily had an idea of what she was about to propose. "I told Levy-Chan to ask him to play earlier, and with what we've just learned, it's highly likely he won't deny. First, we observe them."

Lily blinked in vague surprise, then nodded in agreement. "Sounds good."

Cana grinned, "Who knows; if we play the cards right, we might get a golden reaction out of some people. Oi, Mira, make sure we have booze at the game tonight. I'll have the doll drunk off her ass before the end of the first game."

Mira nodded, sharing a twisted smile with the liquor queen.

Lily shuddered, glad he was on their good side. Needless to say, he'd be screwed if they weren't. Still, he felt a small sliver of pity for the Dragon Slayer and the Solid Script Mage. "Good luck Gajeel, Levy... You're gonna need it."

The answering smirks were all he need to confirm his suspicions.

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So, this chapter is short cause the next chapter is gonna be bloody MASSIVE! I just really wanted to add Lily's conversation into the mix 'cause I love Cana, Mira, and Lily and I think they would make a badass team of matchmakers. 3 Hehe c: Until we meet again.

Next Chapter: The Game


	3. The Game

**LATE UPDATE! I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRRY! I've just been so busy! Work's been a hassle and I'm having massive family problems and I keep cutting my fingers trying to peel potatoes! But I finally did it! An extra long chapter for your enjoyment! Leave a review if you want! Maybe some ideas for future chapter~ I think this story is only going to be like.. five or six chapters long.. WE SHALL SEE MWAHAHAHA-*cough, hack* Aghaaa... Ouch... ^^ Enjoy!**  
**  
I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters thereof, I only own this story.**

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A good portion of the Guild members sat on the floor in a large circle in one of Fairy Tail's private rooms. The room was large and spacious, lacking any furniture save an old metal chair in the corner and the large light hanging from the ceiling. The room was painted a comforting crème color with a delicate forest green trim that contrasted well with the oaken hardwood floors.

Mirajane perched herself on the metal chair, a horribly innocent smile plastered to her perfect face. The participants of the game to come chattered loudly amongst themselves, betting on who would win, who would end up stripped naked first, on who would back out of the game pre-maturely, and what the consequence for such an action would be.

Mira clapped her hands loudly, drawing the attention and quieting the participants. "I will now explain the rules of 'Fairy Strip Poker'." Her sweet voice was loud and clear, as was the collective groan among the group. Most had played before and knew the rules of the game better than they knew the back of their hand. Mira chuckled, perfect smile still intact. "I have to do it guys. We have some new players." A few heads bobbed in understanding, but most continued to grumble quietly. Ignoring the grumblers, Mira launched into explaining the rules. " 'Fairy Strip Poker' is quite similar to regular strip poker, or just regular poker. Bets are not made with money or chips, but with articles of clothing. Whoever wins an article of clothing may do what he or she pleases with it." Mira professionally ignored Juvia's cry of delight, "You can go all in just like in regular poker. Should you lose every article of clothing, you're out. It is also an option to back out of the game pre-maturely, but there are consequences for that. I believe it was… Cana's? Turn to choose the consequences."

The brunette looked up, a devilish tint to her wild eyes. "Whoever backs out will have to drink not one, but _**two**_ shots of the hardest liquor Fairy Tail's got."

A loud gasp followed the liquor loving woman's announcement, before Macao broke the silence with a long whistle. "Now _that_ is a penalty. Only person I know who's been able to stand even one shot of that shit is Cana…" A few whispers followed Macao's declaration. Fairy Tail's hardest liquor was not to be messed with.

Mira smiled at the slight distress on a few member's faces as they imagined the effects of said liquor. "Alright! To continue in the first round you must put in one article of clothing." As an example, the barmaid pulled her shoes off, tossing them into the middle of the group. "Let's start! Cana, if you would deal the cards."

"It'd be my pleasure." The woman practically purred, already dealing the cards with a ridiculous speed.

Gajeel glanced at his cards, involuntarily activating a nearly flawless poker face. The only thing that gave him away, was the slightest upward twitch of his lips. He had a decent hand, "Call." He growled clearly, tossing his boots into the steadily growing pile of shoes. Not too far from him, Levy inwardly smirked, though unlike Gajeel, she didn't bother to hide her glee. She had a good hand. "Raise!" She trilled, tossing into the pile her shoes and socks.  
Next to her, Natsu looked confused. He had played poker before, but the concept still confused him. Why not just go all in? What did he have to lose? Everyone in the guild had seen him stark naked before, and holding back wasn't his thing… but he wanted to stay in the game for at least a little while before he went all in.. why not. Natsu had a bad poker face, and honestly, his hand sucked, but that had never stopped him before. "Call!" He practically yelled, tossing his sandals and socks into the pile.

Lucy stared at her cards in abject horror. She had been dealt a positively horrible hand as far as she could tell. She glanced in an almost fearful fashion at the rather large pile of shoes and socks and cringed. But what could it hurt to go a little longer? Perhaps she could redeem herself later.. She didn't want to look like a complete pussy in front of these people, she'd never live it down! So rather shakily, she murmured, "C-Call.." and tossed her socks and shoes in.

After the first round of betting, men and women alike began to discard some of their cards for new cards. In the previous betting round, two people folded. Alzack and Lissanna, neither of them being much for the betting trade, they had quickly backed out.

Levy and Cana grinned at their new hands, Lucy quailed, deciding to fold this round, Gajeel grimaced at his cards but decided to stay in the game, Natsu grinned at his cards, not really understanding what they meant but hey! they looked cool!

The favored piece to bet this time around was headgear, Levy and Gajeel tossing in their headbands, Cana tossing in her hairclips, Juvia tossed in her hat, revealing an identical one underneath it, various other guild members who lacked headgear tossed in shirts, scarfs, and just about anything other than pants, and Natsu, realizing he lacked headgear, tossed in his vest, leaving his toned chest quite exposed. Neither Levy, Cana, nor Mira missed the way Lucy immediately blushed as her brown eyes swept quickly over his chest.

"Alright everyone! Time to show your cards!" Mira stated, flipping her own cards over for all to see, she was currently topless, not having had any headgear to bet.

Everyone followed suit, looking around to see who had won. Cana smirked, clearly confidant in her victory.

"It would seem we have a tie… Cana and Levy will split the pot." Mira stated, sounding mildly surprised.

Cana blinked in surprise, turning her gaze to the doll-like girl smirking at her across the room. "What a pleasant surprise… Doll's got game.." the brunette laughed loudly, pulling her winnings next to her. "That makes things interesting."

Gajeel stared at the girl he knew as 'Shorty' in mild surprise as she pulled her winnings, a pile of socks, shoes, and shirts next to her. He had never pegged her as the gambling type, and maybe she wasn't, but from what he'd seen as of yet, she was good. He had to admit, he was slightly impressed. Who would of thought that Shorty of all people would be any good at Poker. He shook his head, deciding finally that it had just been dumb luck and it probably wouldn't happen again. Oh how wrong he was.

Six rounds later, Gajeel sat on the floor in nothing but his boxers, a determined set to his brows. Shorty and Liquor Queen were good. Really good. He gave what was left of the participants a furtive glance, resisting the urge to laugh.

Natsu was stark naked, watching the game disinterestedly, he had gone all in at a bad time in the third round and had been rather brutally crushed by Cana, Levy, and surprisingly Bunny Girl. Gray was in a similar state, leaning against the wall in a bored fashion, completely hanging out. Macao had taken the punishment and left the game early; he was currently passed out in the hallway. Erza sat in the significantly smaller circle of players in nothing but her panties. Jellal stood behind her in his boxers, he had taken the penalty, but he could handle liquor pretty well it seemed. Mirajane was butt naked, as well as Lissanna, Evergreen, Elfman, and Droy. Jet was in the same state as Gajeel, stripped to his boxers. Juvia had shed her coat and was now clad in nothing but her sea blue bra and undies, though she had a small collection of clothes next to her. A collection which included Gray's shirt, pants, socks, Gajeel's shirt, and Lucy's shoes. Cana wore a bra, her undies, and a skirt, though she had a rather massive pile of clothing next to her, consisting on quite a lot of the guild member's clothing. Shrimp wore a thin black camisole, her bra and undies, and had a decently sized pile of clothes, though it consisted of female clothes that wouldn't fit her in a million year, shoes, socks, panties and bras, and two pairs of boxers.

The shrimp's apparel wasn't helping Gajeel in the slightest. With her clad in so little, it was quite hard for him to keep his eyes to himself. But he had to admit, she was a brilliant poker player.

He folded this round, desperately wanting to keep his backside covered, Juvia folded as well. The shrimp however, chose to raise, betting the camisole she was wearing and her bra. She was pretty confidant if she was betting with her own clothes. Damn… A confidant Shorty was pretty sexy… _No! Bad thoughts! Ignore them Gajeel…_ _Oh God.. She just took off her bra.._ Shorty covered herself quickly, a nervous quirk to her absurdly colored blue brows.

The bet was two articles of clothing, and Erza desperately tossed in her hair ribbon and panties, hoping for the best. Cana carelessly tossed forward a shirt and a pair of slacks from her pile. Then they all turned over their cards.

Erza gave a small whine of dismay, before hanging her pretty scarlet head in despair. She was out. And unclothed. Jellal looked at the woman with sympathy, trying desperately to hide his blush. Something soft hit him in the head, and he looked around quickly. Cana smirked at him and nodded. Jellal looked down at his shirt, before gently offering it to Erza who donned it appreciatively.

Levy sighed dejectedly, glaring at Cana's cards. _Dammit!_ Cana had one that round by the skin of her teeth, but she'd still one. She shot the brunette a glare as she pulled Levy's clothes and Erza's panties into her pile. _This is embarrassing.. Wait a minute! _"Juvia-Chan!" Levy's pretty voice rang out in the dead silence of the room. The water mage's head snapped up, and she turned to look at her fellow bluenette.

"Yes?"

"I'll trade your Gray's boxers for… for Gajeel's shirt!"

Juvia gasped, inhaling sharply. "Juvia will trade!" and without a second thought, she tossed Gajeel's shirt at the girl who caught it and held it up to her small bosom with one hand while gingerly tossing Gray's boxers to the fawning girl. Without a second thought, or a glance at the staring, and slightly pink dragon slayer to whom the shirt belonged, she pulled it over her head as fast as she could, noting how large it was on her slight frame. _Interesting._

Gajeel stared at the girl who had just donned his shirt as easily as donning any of her own clothing. This.. just wasn't cool.. Why'd she have to do that!? Not that she looked bad in his shirt… No, quite the opposite, she looked sexy, and cute, and adorable all at once… But she was making it so hard to resist the urge to pick her up, drag her to his flat, and fuck her silly. **Goddammit!**

He growled deeply, turning his crimson glare to Cana, he dropped his cards onto the floor. "I quit." He rumbled, grabbing the two shot glasses and dumping the contents down his throat. He was faintly aware of the Shrimp gaping at him, and Cana's smirk, but the warm burning in the back of his throat and a familiar buzz in the back of his mind distracted him from that. He leaned against the wall, prepared to watch the rest of the game.

Speedy and Juvia were out in the next round, and then it was just down to Cana and Shorty. They were halfway through the final round when Cana spoke up, her attention directed at the Midget.

"Oi, Doll! I know ya don't want to get stripped in front of everyone.. Frankly, neither do I. So I gotta deal for ya, yea?"

The Solid Script Mage gave the brunette a suspicious glare, but nodded slowly. She _did __**not**_ want to be butt naked in front of everyone.. Especially Gajeel!

"If I win this round… You have to drink and whole bottle of something of my choice. I ain't gonna tell you what it is neither. But if you win I-"

"You'll go sober for two weeks." Levy interrupted, a devilish smile on her face.

Cana's jaw dropped a bit at the proposition, but she slowly nodded in agreement. "'Kay. We got a deal?"

The little mage nodded firmly in response.

Cana grinned, "What ya got, girly?"

"Straight flush." The girl replied, laying her cards out in front of her.

Cana sucked in her breath, "You're good girly… But I'm afraid you're just not good enough. Royal flush." She grinned at the shocked look on Levy's face; victory was still as sweet as ever. "Good game doll. Mira, go get me **that **drink."

"Okay!" the pretty barmaid assented with a smile, hurrying down to the bar to retrieve the drink.

Levy squirmed in her spot, an uncomfortable look on her pretty face. Gajeel crouched in front of her, though she didn't seem to see him. Irritated, he flicked her forehead, earning a surprised yelp from the girl as her hands flew to her throbbing forehead.

"Hey!"

"Gihi. You did decent tonight Shrimp!"

Was that a compliment? "Uh.. Thanks?" she tried for a smile, earning a slightly drunken one in return.

"Yup." He grunted.

Cana dropped a rather large and heavy bottle into her lap, a massive grin on her face. "Chug girly."

Levy gave the bottle a panicky look before glancing at Gajeel. "Don't let me do anything stupid."

"Huh?"

And then, the bottle was at her lips and she was swallowing the foul liquid as quickly as possible, trying to ignore the horrid burning sensation at the back of her throat. After about thirty seconds of chugging, she lowered the bottle and inhaled deeply, trying not to choke the bitter liquid up. She sloshed the liquid in the bottle around a bit; there was only a fourth of it left. She gave Cana a teasingly hateful glare, and then downed the rest of the liquor.

Everyone stared in shocked silence for about a minute before Natsu whooped loudly, which resulted in a cacophony of sounds and claps on the back, but she could already feel the strong liquor going to her head. She wasn't going to remember anything in the morning… _Dammit_.

She giggled, looking around slowly. Everything seemed so much.. Prettier! A little hazy, but everything was pretty! Her eyes came to a rest finally on Gajeel who seemed to have sobered up and was currently watching her warily.

"Gajeel!" she cheered more loudly than necessary. She reached for him like a child, an inquisitive look on her pretty face.

He blinked, slowly walking forward, he stared at the girl who had her arms outstretched to him like a child. _What do I do!?_ he panicked. She thrust her arms at him more insistently, a tiny crease forming between her brows. _Oh… That's what she wants._ He stepped closer to the girl, bent down, and threw her over his shoulder, sighing heavily.

"Stupid Shrimp, you're drunk off your ass." He griped, though if he was being honest, he found it quite adorable.

"Wahhhh! Mean Gajeel! I'm not -hic- drunk!" she whined, thrashing weakly against him.

"You're going home before you do something stupid." He grumbled, starting toward the door, fully aware of the many guild members watching him with open mouths. Even Speedy and Fatty didn't seem to know what to do. So he left, carrying the Shrimp over his shoulder.

Halfway to Fairy Hills, Levy gave a slight whine that had Gajeel's brows shooting to his hairline. It was just so… pitiful… you'd think she was being kidnapped, not escorted home.

"What is it, Shorty?"

"Dun.. Wanna go… home.." she slurred softly in that whiny tone that was so damn annoying but so damn cute at the same time.

He turned his head to look at her, big mistake. She was giving him that big, pleading stare that he just couldn't ever say no to. What did she call it? The puppy dog eyes. That's what she called it. Dammit.

He sighed heavily, stopping. "Where do you want to go then?" he asked irritably. _God.. If she says she wants to go to Speedy's house or something I ain't gonna let her.. I don't care how big she makes her eyes…_

"Wanna go to.. 'Jeel's house…" she muttered drunkenly, her now half-lidded eyes silently pleading.

Gajeel blinked, trying to hide his surprise, though that probably wasn't necessary since she was drunk. He sighed again, changing his direction. "Mkay.."

**It's gonna be a long night…  
**

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**Guys, I have a Tumblr (if any of you care) I tend to post story notices there, so if you wanna find me there I'm : _Mickey Levy_  
Thanks for the read! All my love and potatoes to! -ML**


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